Bride of the Red Song
by Akkey-chan
Summary: AU. Basically, a brief one-shot on what if Meredith had been revived with a new resistance to Red Lyrium and control over it so... I am kind of breaking Lore... Don't chew me out on anything please. This was for a friend. So I do hope the rest of you enjoy. c:


How had it come to this? Her whole life had been spent dedicated to the Maker, Andraste and the Templar Order. She had sworn her vows and she had fought to keep templars and mages in line within Kirkwall. She had kept it all secure until the blood mages infested the tower with their corrupt minds and perverted gift.

She had known that Orsino had been hiding them, she knew _all along._ He was as corrupt as the rest of them and his filthy ways had corrupted the tower she had sworn to serve until her mind was wiped and she lost all she was. He had ruined it all, all because he thought that things were wrong. He had been a fool. As she had always said, she was only doing her duty as a templar. As one that would serve unwavering, she had not faltered one bit. Even if it broke her heart to put the entire circle to death, there were too many to stop what had begun.

She will admit to her own failings, the Idol she had bought had twisted her mind with paranoia and anxiety. Whispers of plotting and mutiny had fueled her mind and she had not even known. The idol had sung to her in it's blade form. Certainty had failed her by corrupting her as well. Not with blood magic but with an ill mind.

After everything that had happened she had stood defeated before the Champion of Kirkwall, her own stubborness had lead to her relying on the blade far too much leading to her own demise. She had indeed died, her body turned to a statue of red lyrium, the same that had polluted her mind with whispers and false images. While they had indeed corrupted her and turned her to stone. The Knight Commander was once again returned to the living world though the constant hue that surrounded her frame showed of her now immunity to the fiendish substance.

When she had heard of the dissolving of the Circle's and the War that had followed, a rage so fierce had flowed through her. Though without her blade, her **Certainty.** There was not much she could do th slaughter those the rebelled against Andraste's words, the Maker's Brides very own idea. The thought of mages, blood mages no less, spitting on Her image and dream. She wished for nothing more to rip the Lyrium from their veins.

She had left Kirkwall after being awoken, she would return in time to reclaim it. The Guard-Captain Aveline Vallen she recalled had been one to know what mages would do given the chance. She would seek her out when she returned. For now, she needed to vent frustration and anger out.

As her luck would have if, she found a band of rebel mages not too far from the city. The Maker seemed to smile on her. Approaching slowly gave them time to prepare. She would indeed like to test what she was capable of with the idol fully fused with her. She felt the power coursing through her veins, Lyrium singing to her though it didn't drown anything out. She was in control, the red lyrium was hers to control.

Thus, the mages armed themselves. Staves, tomes, anything their filthy blood addled hands could get. The ground beneath her erupted into flames and she couldn't help but feel powerful as she drained the mana from the wall of flame and walked right through. Next came a wall of ice and several fists of stone. A simple spell purge that shook the ground rendered the rock projectiles useless, the wall collapsing into nothing more than large shards.

The fight afterwards could barely be called that. It had been a slaughter as she ripped them apart with her bare hands. The blood only made her laugh in near hysterics. She was so powerful, she could negate any magic with a simple whim, a wave of her hand and the lyrium in their veins turned red, their bodies becoming horrid statues. Well, what remained of their bodies.

With all that happened, she barely even recognized the time as it went by, mages dying to her left and right, all by her hands. She heard of the Inquisition who had sided with the filthy mages, traitors to the purpose of the Inquisition. Their opponent, Corypheus lead the Templars on Haven. A man who knew what needed to be done. Now, again sides must have been picked and thus she had found him.

The disgusting rodent had been with him, Samson and he held her sword. Held Certainty in his ugly she approached him, he had attempted to stop her. Saying how she was crazy, a loon, psychotic. She had crushed his throat in her hands, removing her hood, she stared the man down.

"I am on a level that only the great Andraste once stood upon in terms of power."

Her words had been serious, not to be taken lightly. It gave the Magister a moments thought. An aura of Red Lyrium, inhuman strength and she gazed at him unflinching. She truly was a devoted follower of Andraste, yet she chose to side with him instead of the false prophet. She had a clear mind, not to side with thieves.

Thus here she stood. Before the Magister, before his armies, his bride of a corrupted song. A leader for those who heard the red rocks song, and drank it's tune. She was Lady Meredith Stannard, First General to the Magister Corypheus. She was not one to falter and revoke her word.

Until, he had proven to be a failure and had fallen to the Inquisitor. She had went willingly as a captive, it seemed once again she was to be branded a liar and a heretic. She may be a heretic, she may be zealous to Lady Andraste but she was no liar.

"Knight-Commander Meredi-" She interrupted her former Knight-Captain with a laugh. "Oh please. The Inquisitor is generous enough to grace me with their presence and I know why I stand here. You rememer Knight-Captain Cullen. Blood Mages, all of them! Even Orsino... Say what you will of me, whether it be of ill-will or of noble deed. I simply did my duty and even as you sit and judge me Inquisitor... you side with traitors and blood mages. They will not hesitate to betray you." She finished her brief rant, the Inquisitor looked down right furious.

"Knight-Commander Meredith! You seem to forget your place!" Said Knight-Commander leveled the Herald with a glare so dark it was only used on one other. "You impetuous child... you _forget_ you were **nothing!** Before you stole the Anchor so do not look down upon me for doing my duty when you had no duty to begin with until you got lucky." She snapped, her words were icy and cold. "You should have died with the Divine, she should have been the one to live!"

"SILENCE!" The Inquisitor stood, the mark flaring with their anger. "Meredith Stannard, I hearby cast you to the dungeons where you shall remain until you wither and die. You will be examined by our arcanist for a solution to the Blight and to the Red Lyrium. Take her out of my sight, and remove her armour."

With the verdict issued, the Knight-Commander was taken away, none noticing the cruel smile that pulled on her lips.

There she sat, in the darkness of her cell, armour removed and replaced with rags. She was glad she wouldn't lose her armour a second time. Gathering the power the Lyrium provided, she began to charge it, a huge amount of energy building inside of her, until with a loud scream, it exploded outwards, her body becoming safely cocooned in a protective shell of red lyrium the mineral covering the walls, ceiling and floor as it began to creep out of Skyhold, beginning to cover the Hold. The Inquisitor was a fool, and they would soon be dead anyways so in the end it didn't matter. Skyhold was hers, the Inquisitor would die with their Inner Circle and Advisors a like. All would perish and she would rule, the mages would perish for their revolting and the Templar order would be rebuilt with her... as Divine Andraste II.

Her throne of Lyrium on the Moutains peak...

A fitting throne for the Bride of the Red Song.

A place she would watch over the land with an iron fist.

She would never allow this to happen again.

She would save this world from itself.

The second coming of Andraste was here and this time... Tevinter would burn in her steed.

May the Maker guide them and show mercy. For She will have none.


End file.
